Sadly all vacations must come to an end, but on the bright side that means I’m back with some linky goodness.
Three thugs murdered a young man simply because they were bored. Naturally this means we need to have another debate about the “gun culture” in this country. No, that’s not the debate we need to be having right now, at least according to the Wall Street Journal.
If Gun Control Worked, Chicago Would Be Mayberry
Speaking of guns, Jim Geraghty quotes from a speech given by Cam Edwards.
If gun control worked, Chicago would be Mayberry right now! And Weld County and El Paso County would be Thunderdome! You guys wouldn’t have [Weld County] Sheriff [John] Cooke, you would have Tina Turner and Mel Gibson running around! It would be horrible! But that’s not real life! Real life is gun control not working in Chicago. Real life is gun control failing in Camden, New Jersey, and Oakland, California, and a lot of other communities in this country . . .
We are pushing back with the lawsuits, with the phone calls to our legislators, by electing officials and supporting elected officials who listen to us. But we’re also pushing back by being grownups, and by being okay at it. By having hundreds of people show up at a range and fire thousands of shotgun shells . . . and everybody’s okay! And now we’re enjoying cigars and drinks and we’ll all get home safely tonight, right?
Because we can control our lives! We can manage our lives! It’s not too difficult. We’re not perfect. We may eat a little too much dessert every now and then. We may not be able to beat that one bad habit, like smoking cigarettes, whatever. But we’re a heck of a lot more capable than our government gives us credit for, aren’t we?
Earlier this year some virulently anti-Jewish and anti-gay literature was spread around Oberlin College. Just another angry, right-wing loon, right? Err, wrong.
One of the two students removed from Oberlin College earlier this year for allegedly circulating virulently racist, anti-Jewish and anti-gay messages around campus is an ardent leftist and committed supporter of President Barack Obama, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.
Throughout the height of the Church’s crisis, I don’t recall too many Catholics actually defending or supporting the guilty priests. Sadly the same cannot be said for many citizens of Rose City, Michigan, where a former teacher (if only they could be married) named Neal Erickson was sentenced to 15-30 years in jail for first degree criminal sexual conduct. Erickson had had a “relationship” with an 8th grader, and this “relationship” was exposed by an anonymous letter. But Erickson was such a swell guy, you see, and really the 8th grader welcomed the “relationship” so it’s all good.
In May of this year, Circuit Court Judge Michael Baumgartner started receiving letters of support. Not for the victim, but for Erickson. Ten letters, nine of which were written by former or current teachers of the district, were entered into the record. Many talked of Erickson’s dedication to a local 6th grade camp. (Yikes). They all proved two things. You cannot take back the words you write. And these idiots just don’t get it.
His wife, Toni Erickson, wrote that the person that released the photo, “…simply wanted to embarrass the school district, and expose others.” She further proclaims the victim (I will not share his name, though it has been made public) isn’t a victim at all. “X does not perceive himself to be a victim, nor is he living a life that has been negatively impacted by Neal’s actions.” She DOES know who the real victim is in all of this. “Going to prison can’t punish him anymore than he has been already – but there is someone who will be punished if he is sent away – my daughter, Margaret.”
Wow.
But it gets worse. Sally Campbell, also a teacher, writes in her letter, “Neal made a mistake. He allowed a mutual friendship to develop into much more.” Harriet H. Coe, retired teacher, wanted to remind the judge that “Neal is, was, and always will be a good, kind, responsible, hardworking person.”
Suddenly Detroit doesn’t look like the most messed up town in Michigan.
Mike Trout is Awesome at Baseball
Miguel Cabrera is the best pure hitter in the game, but there’s no better all-around talent in the game than Trout. And he’s only 21.
Satire That Wasn’t Intended as Satire
Earlier this week Ace had a lot of fun with a new novel titled Christian Nation, written by Frederic C. Rich. Here is a description.
Christian Nation is a work of speculative political fiction, arising from the counterfactual of a McCain/Palin victory in 2008 followed soon after by McCain’s sudden death and Sarah Palin’s ascension to the presidency.
When the book opens, eight years have passed since the Holy War ended in victory for the fundamentalist Christian forces. Americans live in bondage to a comprehensive authoritarian law called The Blessing, enforced by a totally integrated digital world known as the Purity Web. The Narrator, Greg, whose best friend led the opposition to the theocratic movement, is brought to a secret abandoned cabin in upstate New York and told to remember and write.
The Christian right made no secret of its decades-long quest for political power, and did not hide what they would do if they got that power. Greg writes: “They said what they would do, and we did not listen. Then they did what they said they would do.” Struggling with perspective and memory, the memoirist recounts the country’s long slow descent to religious authoritarianism, propelled by economic distress, a second major terrorist attack, and the fanatical ambitions of an extremist evangelical minority.
Yeah.
Anyway, Ace poked a little fun at some of the sparkling dialogue from this true masterpiece. As always, the comments are a must-read as well.
Welcome back Paul. Vacations are too short and work is too long!
“Ten letters, nine of which were written by former or current teachers of the district, were entered into the record. Many talked of Erickson’s dedication to a local 6th grade camp. (Yikes). They all proved two things. You cannot take back the words you write. And these idiots just don’t get it.”
Letters of support for someone undergoing sentencing are fairly typical. The sentencing judge was shocked in this case however. To have fellow teachers rallying around another teacher who stands convicted of sexually abusing one of his pupils illustrates not only that they are morally bereft but they are as stupid as wooden posts. I have known several teachers who have gotten out of teaching because they were appalled by the quality, or rather the lack thereof, of their fellow teachers.
About 20 years ago, I decided to go to grad school (I choose University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and was accepted) to get my teacher certification. One of the things I had to sign was a “moral turpitude” form–promising I was a good person who didn’t do vile things and understood that “vile things” could be grounds for loosing a job, etc.
I assume that the teachers in question also had to sign such forms as well, including the one who had the “relationship” with his student. Hmm, grade 8? So the boy was about 3 or 14? That is statutory rape isn’t it?
As it turns out, I decided against going to get my teacher degree and didn’t go to U of M. All too often of the past 20 years, I’m thankful for that change of heart.
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